Great site

Sometimes I get sent great websites. One such is:

http://sausagefans.com/

Fabulous. Who can say they don't like sausages.

Vegetarians ? I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to eat cabbage !

I pod therefore I am

I've just bought an MP3 player. Not an iPod obviously, I don't want to look like a complete twonk, I purchased the superior* Zen Micro.

Has it altered my life ? Nope, but it is very nice to get proper use out of my CD collection. What I now have is effectivly a radio station that only plays music I like to hear. Fortunatly I like a wide range of music so the stuff on it is pretty wide ranging. Also, I've always prefered compliations to since artist albums. This way by using the shuffle function, all I hear is a long compilation. Sort of "That's what I call music 1 to 103".

It has a radio as well although this is a bit average, I can still tune in when the spirit moves me.

I bought the dark blue one - white looks good but would be too near the iTwonk. On balance I might have been better with orange but then I have a phone that matches my car so an MP3 player that matches my van sounded good.

*Superior: Bigger storage, cheaper, FM radio and you aren't a twonk.

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On a still day, a Clyde Puffer navigates our pool.

Where did it go ?

On my home page, I have a random link. Ht it and you head off to one of 5 top web sites.

One of these used to be the fabulous Hampster Dance. Remember this from about 4 years ago ? Everyone loved it. Dancing hampsters, stupid tune. Fabulous.

But now there is a German langauge website with some hampsters. Of course there is always hamsterdance.com but that's all comercial now and no fun.

Ahhh, I remember the good old days of the WWW, when a simple site could be an instant hit.

Progress can be a terrible thing.

Listen to me

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Conner wants British politics to be more like American politics with a greater say for religions.

Of course he does. After all wouldn't it be better for us to be lead by people who claim to be directed by God instead of those who are supposed to represent us. After all, they can prove that God is talking to them and that they aren't just making it up can't they...

"I hate you Thatcher !"

"Britain's buses have never recovered from Margaret Thatcher's brutal assessment that anybody over 30 who travels in them is a failure."

Well I use the bus to get to work and am well over 30. I thought I did this because it is easier than trying to park the car near work. Now I know it is also to spite Mrs T

I just hope when she dies, the grave has a flat top for dancing...

Lets Talk

I get some real rubbish in my in-box sometimes at work. Mostly Government newsletters with publicity in them. A real classic arrived today containing a speech by Charlotte Atkins, a junior minister. It is about the Womens Transport Network. My favorite quote is:

We found that while women from minority ethnic communities have similar concerns to other groups, they have a number of specific issues.

Let me quote from one response from women at a Hindu Community Association:
"We all went along to talk about transport services with the bus company, but they were all men and we felt embarrassed talking to them"

So what she is saying is that we have to make some changes because a group of women can't talk to men in the context of a meeting.

This isn't a club, these aren't blokes on the pull. These are just ordinary people doing thier job ! Yet we have a culture that means the women can't talk to men on an equal basis. Whose fault is that ? The Bus companies apparently !

There is something wrong in my eyes with aculture or religion that teaches women that every man views them only as sex objects. They are made to feel thay must cover up and hide instead of taking thier rightful place in the world.

The speach was made as part of International Womens Day - perhaps Ms Atkins should have made a different one.

Two Vans

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originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.

Ashley van meets a splitty on a snowy street.

Lock 'em up

If there really are 200 terrorists roaming the streets, why are we waiting to do something about them ?

"Because you lefty wimps won't let us have the terror bill" cries the PM.

But surely this isn't enough. If we know who these people are, why not just turn up on their doorstep and shoot them dead. Perhaps get their friends and family for good measure. You can't be too sure after all.

Draconian ? Nah, they are going to do terrible things. We have been told they will. Oh yes. Definitely.

Now I wonder if the reason we don't that is because we don't really know who they are. Or we are too uncertain of the evidence to do this. It surely can't be because we want not to sentence people before trying them, because that is the nub of the anti-terror bill.

The terror bill is a half hearted measure designed to scare us and give bucket loads of power to the inner circle of government. If we are in trouble then do something sensible but stop leaking half-truths.

A letter from Tony !

Look what I got in my in-box today !
Dear Labour supporter,

Who me ? , nah, you're too right wing for me pal

Labour is the party of the NHS. Always was. Always will be. The Tories opposed the setting up of the NHS. They have opposed the investment and reforms of this Labour Government. Of course thay have, they are Tories. They support the execution of the poor. They don't beleive anyone should be allowed to eat if they take a day off work sick....actually you're quite keen on that one aren't you.

Yesterday Michael Howard highlighted one case, that of a patient who had her operation cancelled several times. Where that happens, it is unacceptable. In a health service that treats one million people every 36 hours, not everyone will get perfect treatment. But for Mr Howard to take one case and use it to undermine the whole of the NHS is typical and wrong. And not something you would do at all. We have all forgoteen Jennifers ear a couple of elections ago haven't we.

I welcome the fact that the election debate is beginning to focus on the public services. People will not easily forget the cuts and privatisation programme that undermined our hospitals for years. Yes they will, most people can't remember last week in politics, never mind ten years ago. Anyway, give them a tax cut and you can do what you like to the NHS. With Labour, spending is up, waiting times are down, standards of care are improving.

When we launched our Proud of Britain campaign, and asked people what made them proud of Britain, the NHS came up again and again. Today we are putting just a sample of these probably made up "Proud of the NHS" testimonies on our website and we're asking for new comments too. We want to know what makes you proud of the NHS. Share the stories from your community. There is so much to be proud of. So let's hear about it:
http://labour.org.uk/proudofthenhs

The coming election will be a fight for the future of the NHS. We have to win it. With the help of people who believe in the NHS, we will.
Yours sincerely, Tony Blair

Thanks Tone, keep in touch. How did you get my e-mail address by the way ?

Pope-ular as ever

The Popes recent appearance at a hostpital window has been seens a seen as a sign he is getting better. Has anyone considered it might have been an escape bid ?

The poor guy probably gots as far as the window, shouted "Help I'm being held captive" and was then hauled back inside. Of course shouting it in Latin wasn't the smartest idea...